Recent Blog Posts
Who Is Liable for an Illinois Bicycle Accident?
Bicycle accidents can be life-altering for those involved, as people on bikes have much less protection when a collision with a vehicle occurs. Bicycles and other cars must adhere to local and state road laws in order to minimize accidents, but even when a cyclist is extremely careful, tragic collisions still happen. After an accident occurs, it can be complex to determine which driver is liable.
An experienced Illinois bicycle accident attorney can help you understand your rights and work with you to investigate your case.
Determining Fault After Your Bike Accident
In Illinois, motor vehicles and bicyclists must share the road, with the exception of protected bike lanes. This means that both kinds of vehicles will need to follow specific vehicle codes, with additional regulations for bicyclists outlined in the Illinois vehicle code.
Can I Sue After a Defective Firework Injury?
Firework displays are hard to miss, as these displays are often one of the most enchanting and fun ways to spend a summer evening. However, fireworks are dangerous products, and negligence in handling a firework or dealing with a defective firework can result in serious injuries. Defective fireworks have the potential to injure victims even when care is being taken with the product.
If you have been injured by a firework, you may be able to pursue a claim against the party responsible for your injury. An Illinois defective products lawyer can further answer your questions.
The Serious Impacts of a Fireworks Injury
Firework injuries result in a number of different complications, with burns being the most common. Burns sustained due to a firework injury can be catastrophic, resulting in serious pain, disfigurement, or severe scarring for the victim.
How Does Negligent Apartment Security Cause Injuries?
When you live in an apartment complex, you expect the area to be safe and to be able to spend time inside and outside of your unit without worrying about your personal safety. However, a lack of apartment security caused by negligent or reckless landlords or property owners can encourage crime, which can lead to tenants sustaining serious injuries or even being killed.
If you have been injured at your apartment complex and negligent apartment security is a factor, you should contact an experienced Illinois apartment injuries lawyer to learn more about your legal options.
What Is Negligent Apartment Security?
Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act, property and building owners have a duty to ensure that safety and care standards are met for people who are legally on the property. With apartment complexes, this means that landlords and property owners have a duty to ensure that tenants are safe and aware of any areas of hazard.
How Long Do I Have to File an Illinois Birth Injury Claim?
While pregnancy and giving birth has never been a completely risk-free process, medical professionals must ensure that they provide proper treatment for infants as they are born, in addition to using care during the birthing process. When medical professionals violate their duty of care to a child, this can result in birth injuries, many of which can cause significant health problems in the future.
If you suspect your child has experienced a birth injury, it is vital to speak to an Illinois birth injury attorney to understand your legal options.
How Are Birth Injury Claims Different From Other Claims?
Birth injury claims must be taken seriously, and these claims are slightly different from other types of medical malpractice claims. In many cases, if a child suffers a birth injury, the parents of the child may not be able to determine this right away. As the child grows, symptoms may appear that indicate the presence of a birth injury, and it can be hard to tell the full impact of a birth injury until these symptoms make themselves present and further testing is completed.
What Are the Consequences of an Anesthesia Error?
Anesthesia is commonly administered during surgeries and other medical procedures, and even minor mistakes with the dosage or administration of anesthesia can have severe consequences for patients. While many anesthesiologists and other medical professionals working with anesthesia are careful with how they handle anesthesia, errors do happen, sometimes caused by the direct negligent actions of medical staff.
Patients who have experienced anesthesia errors may deal with a number of different complications and long-term costs. A knowledgeable Illinois medical malpractice lawyer is key to exploring your options if you have suffered from an anesthesia error.
Common Complications of Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors are serious, and the complications that result from an anesthesia error can be life-changing for patients. In many cases, these complications are caused by improper monitoring of the patient once he or she is under anesthesia, failure to administer the correct dosage, intubation errors, and equipment malfunctions, or failure to inform the patients of proper pre-surgery procedures.
How Do I Prove Fault in a Car Accident?
Car accidents occur regularly throughout the Illinois area, and many of these accidents are serious and result in catastrophic injuries. After a car accident has occurred, you may face the challenge of proving the other driver’s fault in order to get compensation. This process is often difficult, especially for those who have been injured in a car accident and need to focus on recovery.
The assistance of an experienced Illinois car accident lawyer is essential as you work to prove fault and recover the compensation you deserve.
Proving Fault After a Car Accident
In Illinois, the state uses a modified comparative negligence system to determine fault in car accidents. This means that a person who is injured in a car accident can only recover damages if he or she is no more than 50 percent responsible for the accident.
Is Lack of Hygiene Considered Nursing Home Neglect?
Though it is not commonly thought of as one of the most important things to health, personal hygiene for nursing home residents is essential to maintaining good physical and mental well-being. Many factors may contribute to nursing home staff neglecting the personal hygiene of residents and the hygiene throughout the facility, including improper hygiene procedures and negligent behavior by staff.
If you have noticed a lack of hygiene around your loved one’s nursing home facility, your family member may be suffering from neglect by nursing home staff. An experienced Illinois nursing home neglect attorney can answer your questions about what to do next.
Signs of Improper Nursing Home Hygiene
Lack of hygiene can be generally easy to notice in a nursing home facility, as you are likely to see dust, dirt, cluttered areas, and stained bedding around the facility. You may also notice stains in bathroom areas and dirty eating or living areas.
Are Slip and Fall Injuries Catastrophic?
Slip and fall injuries may not commonly be thought of as the most harmful injuries out there, though slip and fall accidents can be very serious. Sometimes, a victim of a slip and fall may sustain injuries that result in life-long effects, causing his or her injuries to be considered catastrophic. In the case of severe slip and fall injuries, you may be able to pursue a compensation claim against the responsible party.
An experienced Illinois slip and fall attorney can help you understand your legal rights.
Catastrophic Effects of a Slip and Fall
In Illinois, a catastrophic injury permanently affects a person’s life and impacts how that person can live it in the future. After experiencing a catastrophic injury, a person may be permanently disabled and unable to work, enjoy life as he or she used to, or provide for his or her family.
When Is a Death Considered Wrongful in Illinois?
Losing a loved one is never easy, and while some deaths are unavoidable, others are preventable. When a preventable death occurs due to the negligence or recklessness of a third party, the death may be considered “wrongful” under Illinois law. In the case that your loved one suffers a wrongful death, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim to recover compensation.
A skilled Illinois wrongful death lawyer is essential to investigating your options for a wrongful death claim.
Understanding the Illinois Wrongful Death Act
In Illinois, the Wrongful Death Act states that wrongful death is a death that occurs due to another person’s “wrongful act, neglect or default.” You can think of a wrongful death claim as similar to a personal injury case where negligence or recklessness leads to an injury, except in the case of wrongful death, these injuries are fatal.
I Got Hurt at an Illinois Business - Is the Business Responsible?
Illinois businesses include malls, retail stores, restaurants, and even hotels. You may pass through these places daily without incident, but, sometimes, accidents do happen. If you get hurt at an Illinois business due to the owner’s negligence or other reckless behavior, he or she may be responsible for your injuries. An experienced Illinois premises liability lawyer can tell you more.
Common Accidents at Illinois Businesses
There are many businesses in the Illinois area, and all of these businesses have a duty of care to their guests and patrons. Common accidents that may occur in area businesses, restaurants, retail stores, and hotels include the following:
- Slip and fall incidents
- Balcony, railing, and stair collapse
- Exposed wiring or tripping hazard accidents